Christ's ministers. Almost thirteen years have rolled away since I was consecrated to the great work of the ministry. You and I shall very soon be reckoned among the old men, that is, if divine patience is extended to us, and what is more, our bodies will soon be deposited in the grave, and our souls will be in the world of spirits. Let us live as if we were looking out for this."

"My dear Niece,

"Lee, July 6, 1805.

'By Mr. D., your aunt received a letter from you, and I received one from S. In these we noticed the melancholy tidings of your dear brother J.'s death, of which we had before seen an account in a Boston paper. Doubtless this dispensation of Providence has been very trying to you all; especially to your mother. Her heart is deeply wounded. She feels as none of the rest of you can feel, because of the peculiar relation in which she stood to him. She was his mother; she nursed him in his infancy; she watched him in his growing years, and carried him on her heart from his birth until she heard he was no more among the living. And even now, her thoughts are much upon him, as having gone to his long home, and as existing in the world of spirits, where she cannot but be sensible that she must ere long meet him. It appears that his death must be the more affecting to her, as the time had nearly arrived, when she expected he would once more mingle with her family from which for so many years he had been separated. But the all-wise Governor of the universe had otherwise ordered. He was to find his grave some hundreds of miles from her, and pass through the scene of dying without having a mother, or any near relative, to administer a word of comfort to him. Mysterious Providence! But, though now mysterious, it will hereafter be explained to her. You will

present to your afflicted mother, our cordial salutations; and tell her from me not to mourn so as to dishonor that God, who has seen fit in great faithfulness to correct her. Through the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, I hope and pray that this event may be a mean of weaning her and all the rest of you from this fading and dying world, and of quickening you to prepare for another and better world where tears will be wiped from the eyes of all, who are so happy as to be admitted into it. often, and oblige yours, &c."

Write

CHAPTER V.

COMMENCEMENT OF THE THIRD

REVIVAL

UNDER HIS

MINISTRY-BIRTHDAY

REFLECTIONS-LETTERS-FEEL

INGS FOR HIS CHILDREN-JOY ON THE HOPEFUL CONVERSION OF HIS OLDEST SON.

"LORD'S DAY, Sept. 21, 1806. This was a memorable Sabbath. Being called to preach a funeral sermon on the death of a young man, a promising youth, I spoke from the following words: He, being dead, yet speaketh.' The attention and solemnity of the people were very visible. Many were in tears. I found afterwards that more than twenty were struck under conviction on this Sabbath, who afterwards exhibited evidence of a work of the Holy Spirit on their hearts. A precious harvestseason followed, and my labors, as a minister, were abundantly increased.

"Feb. 2, 1807. I have this day completed thirty-nine years, and am a monument of the wonderful mercy and patience of God. I desire to bless God that he allows me to stand at the head of a family, and that he has hitherto saved me from the painful feelings of parting with any of my children—and that he yet allows me to stand as a laborer in his vineyard. How unworthy I am of standing in such relations! On a review of my conduct as a

parent and as a minister of the gospel during the year past, I see more to condemn, than in any former year of my life; yet I have witnessed greater mercies than usual, particularly in the outpourings of the Holy Spirit on the people of my charge. This good work which began in September still continues, and it has rendered the past a memorable year of my life. May God have all the glory; and may he enable me to devote myself more unreservedly to his service."

In a letter to one of his correspondents he gives a few more particulars respecting the revival, to which allusion is made in the extracts from his diary.

"Dear Sir,

"April 24, 1807.

"I thank you for your favor of November last. Can you accept an apology for my long silence? I can assure you that this delay has occasioned me no small grief; because I never wish to disappoint a friend, nor do I feel willing to forfeit the character of a punctual man. All I have to say, by way of apology, is, that my time for the last six months has been unusually occupied in attending to the people of my charge. I have been obliged to neglect some of my numerous correspondents, and to write letters only in cases of necessity.

"You will recollect that we had meetings for prayer, on Sabbath evening, for several years. Our number was so increased the last summer, that we were under the necessity of leaving our school-house for the meetinghouse. The work of the Holy Spirit began the latter part of the summer and became visible and astonishing in October. Divine influences came down upon this barren, guilty people, like a mighty shower, and continued through November, December, January, February, and

* * *

The

March, and I hope some drops are falling yet. people became eager for instruction. The most of this time, we have had meetings, in some part of the town, every evening in the week, except Saturday evening. My time has been wholly taken up and pleasantly employed. The new converts appear understandingly to embrace the distinguishing doctrines of Christianity. Intelligence of this kind will be pleasing and animating to you, and I trust will excite you to unite with us in praising Him who has mercy on whom he will have mercy.

"In your letter you request my thoughts on Acts ii. 17. - Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.' I well recollect your asking my opinion of this passage when you lived in Berkshire; but cannot now call to mind all that passed between us on the subject. The exposition of the text, which appears to me the most rational and scriptural, is the following, viz. that the soul is put for the person, as we find is the case in Rom. xiii. 1—Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. Ezek. xviii. 4— The soul that sinneth it shall die. Therefore we may consistently with other scriptures, consider the person as saying, Thou wilt not leave me in hell. By hell, I understand the grave, or the state of the dead. I acknowledge that the word Hades, here translated hell, is either put for the grave, or the place where the damned are punished. But, seeing these words are introduced by the inspired writer, in proof of Christ's resurrection, and seeing also that Christ's soul was in paradise where he promised to the penitent thief, that he should be with him on the day of his crucifixion, it is most natural to suppose that by hell, in this passage, is meant the grave, which according to this prophecy could not hold the body so long, as that it would see corruption. By this exposition, you will see